Wanted for Australia! New BYD super-brand Leopard shows off 4×4 and supercar concepts
A family of brutal 4x4s including a Toyota LandCruiser rival along with a radical supercar have been added to Chinese electrified mega-brand BYD’s rapidly expanding new vehicle armoury and are wanted in Australia.
The new models were previewed this week by BYD subsidiary Fang Cheng Bao – or Leopard – ahead of the Beijing show. While only offered in left-hand drive for now, the expectation is models from the premium brand will eventually be offered in Australia once they become available in right-hand drive.
The same potentially applies to BYD’s other two luxury brands, Denza and Yangwang, the latter of which has already generated Aussie interest.
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“Certainly there are discussions going on with those other brands 100 per cent,” David Smitherman, CEO of Australia BYD distributor EVDirect told EV Central this week.
“It’s being worked on. Those brands aren’t in right-hand drive and so we certainly want to bring those brands to Australia and there are discussions ongoing.
“But right now my main focus is the BYD brand.”
The most important of the new Fang Cheng Bao trio is the entry Super 3 concept that will preview the incoming Bao 3 that will be on sale initially in China as soon as the fourth quarter of this year.
Measuring in at 4.7m long and set to be the fledgling brand’s volume-seller, the new Super 3 has been created to rival the likes of the BMW iX3 and the Mercedes-Benz EQC.
Featuring a rugged angular look, towering ride height, squared-off arches, all-terrain tyres and rear-mounted spare, the Super 3 even features a drone port on the roof to help record off-road adventures.
When the production Bao 3 arrives expect it to lose its go-anywhere looks and sit lower to the ground to maximise its range.
Unlike other Fang Cheng Bao models, the Bao 3 will be EV-only, although no details of, what’s expected to be, a single- and dual-motor powertrain have been released.
When it arrives the Bao 3 will be priced from around 200,000 Chinese Yuan which equates to around $43,000 in our money.
Joining the new entry Fang Cheng Bao was also a larger flagship Bao 8 SUV that was being shown off in near production-guise.
Said to be based on BYD’s Dual Mode Off-road (DMO) monocoque architecture that has been created for electrified SUVs, we expect the Bao 8 to come with an advanced plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Giving it huge capability off the beaten track the Bao 8 is BYD’s advanced DiSus active suspension that can raise the body by as much as 200mm and even allow it to leap up in the air, while dialling out unwanted body movements, like roll, pitch and dive for a more comfortable ride on-road.
Built to battle it out with the Toyota LandCruiser 300, the new Fang Cheng Bao is rumoured to be priced from around 500,000 Chinese Yuan ($110,000) when sales kick-off in the third quarter.
The final, most dramatic unveiling was the Super 9 supercar concept.
Looking more like a stunning two-seat speedster from the likes of Aston Martin the Super 9 was rumoured to get an all-electric powertrain that will sport huge power.
Said to preview a production car called the Bao 9, the concept looks like it sits on a bespoke platform that places the driver and passenger much lower than a traditional EVS underpinned by a skateboard architecture.
Designed under the direction of Wolfgang Egger, who has worked for both Lamborghini and Audi, the Super 9 show car looked like it had been designed for the race track, with only a flyscreen to protect passengers from the elements. The race-car-like steering wheel and ultra-lightweight carbon-fibre bucket seats also suggested a track-focus.
The rear dual tail lamps are shaped like the Fang Cheng logo, while the 30 decals celebrate the BYD’s 30th anniversary.
These three new models join the Bao 5 PHEV SUV in the Fang Cheng Bao line-up.
BYD sells Fang Cheng Bao through just 70 boutique stores around China. In 2024 BYD will expand that number to more than 150 as BYD hopes to ramp up the 3 million cars it delivered in 2023 to around 3.6 million in 2024.
In case you were wondering, Fang Cheng Bao is Chinese for Formula Leopard in English, with some tipping the Bao 3, 5, 8 and 9 will be renamed the Leopard 3, 5, 8 and 9 when the brand launches in markets like Europe and Australia.
With: Bruce Newton
